Recently, we asked a number of our contributors to write a piece that answered the personal question, “What does Leica mean to me?”. It seems only fair that we should also answer that question to kick off a series of essays that will lead to the Leica Centennial event in Wetzlar later this year. The answer for Macfilos can be distilled to one word: “Community”. And we will go on to explain that a little more below.
This article is the first in a year-long series of individual recollections of Leica, some extending back to the early 1950s. This series is our way of supporting the Leica Centennial programme for 2025.
Macfilos has had a long association with the Leica brand. Founded in 2008 by Mike Evans, the magazine has tracked the success of Leica’s digital M system and has become one of the most active and popular Leica-based publications. With over 6,000 illustrated articles and nearly 33,000 comments, Macfilos represents a treasure trove for anyone interested in the German marque.
In the past 17 years, we have attracted Leica enthusiasts, contributors, and experts to our pages. We have covered a wide gamut of subjects around Leica, so now is a good time to answer the question of what Leica means to us.
Precision engineering
Leica means precision engineering and has done so from the very start of the company. It has been a pioneer in establishing the rangefinder as a precision focusing device. That transformed the size of cameras as well as the kinds of photographers who used them. Our wildly popular “Swiss Roll” story of 2020 is proof of that. Leica has also developed outstanding ranges of lenses as part of its original mission. But that only scratches the surface.
“What does Leica mean to Macfilos?”
The question can be answered in one word: Community.
Leica has not just been about equipment, but also about a sense of shared community between the company, and the buyers and owners of Leica equipment — of which Macfilos feels an integral part.
What we appreciate above all about the Leica company is that senior management figures such as Stefan Daniel, Jesko von Oeynhausen and Peter Karbe are enthusiasts and are approachable by users. Stefan, for instance, started as an apprentice, with hands-on technical knowledge. How many industry bosses can dismantle and reassemble a rangefinder camera?
The community also means the friendship and camaraderie that comes from owning a Leica. Clubs and associations throughout the world play an important part, as do forums and other discussion groups.
The Leica Society in the UK and the Leica Society International have become cornerstones of this knowledgeable and collaborative community. We are fortunate, too, to have a font of knowledge from the network of specialist dealers who are devoted to Leica and who can offer expert opinion and advice — making the experience quite unlike that of buying any other brand of camera.
Community as a part of our photographic legacy
Some of the greatest photographers in history have chosen to use Leica cameras and become part of that community. Over time, that relationship has created a gallery of iconic images as its legacy. That “gallery” serves as inspiration for all of us when we take photographs. The Leica Akademie embraces the experience of those photographers to help other photographers improve their craft.
The equipment has changed over the decades, but those relationships are foundational to the continuity of Leica as a community. That sense of community has been a continuous and fundamental aspect of how the company has developed over a century, providing firsthand feedback on potential improvements to Leica’s products.
We hope to be part of and support the continuing development of that community for years to come.
Friendships have been made and have been sustained for decades through Leica societies and clubs. We enjoy meeting people from the world of Leica. We enjoy and encourage their contributions. We welcome those new to the world of Leica. We debate, discuss and question the merits of Leica from philosophy to the smallest changes in equipment.
As editor of Macfilos (Mike Evans writes), I thank our Chicago-based associate editor, Jon Cheffings, for coming up with the idea for this series. Jon brought the project to life by contacting contributors and leading members of the community, and developing a programme of articles to take us through most of 2025 in weekly bites.
The Index to Leica 100 contributions
Read what Macfilos authors, contributors and noted experts have to say about their rite of passage through the Leica community.
Become a part of the worldwide Leica community
Leica Society International (LSI)
The Leica Society (TLS)
The Leica Fellowship
The Leica Centennial — Witness to a Century
Read more about the Leica 100 years of photography
Check how the Swiss Roll caused a world-wide sensation
A cup of coffee works wonders in supporting Macfilos
Did you know that Macfilos is run by a dedicated team of volunteers? We rely on donations to help pay our running costs. And even the cost of a cup of coffee will do wonders for our energy levels.
Image is everything 🕶️
My recent article on Macfilos was intended to be part of the Centennial Celebrations. If you read that, you will see that as regards what Leica means to me, it means, in a word, ‘Heritage’. Readers may be interest to know that LFI is producing a book of 100 stories for 100 years of Leica, which will include the ‘Swiss Roll’ story.
William
Your contribution to the Macfilos Centennial celebration is much appreciated William and sets a high bar for articles to follow.
Thanks Jon. I have given the editor, who is producing the official Leica ‘100 stories for 100 Years of Leica’ book several references to Macfilos and, hopefully, Macfilos will make its way into what will be a memorial of 100 years of ‘The Leica’.
William